Mary Nancy (Taylor) Enoch died peacefully in her home in Little Rock on July 25, 2021. She was born in Childress, AR on June 15, 1938, the second daughter of L.H. and Henrietta (Clark) Taylor. Her friends called her Nan. Her students knew her as Ms. Enoch. Her grandchildren knew her as Nana. She was a special woman whose life encompassed many roles and exhibited many talents as mother, wife, grandmother, educator, master gardener, musician, children’s book author, poetry reader and writer, volunteer, mentor, guide, and the friend you would call when you needed a hand. She loved to travel and meet people, here and abroad, to learn more about herself and the world she inhabited. She was equally caring for people, plants, and animals alike and at the end of her life, she had a special relationship with a swan named Miss Lilly. 

Nan was a lifelong student and educator, having obtained advanced degrees in Early Childhood Education. She taught for many years, and those she taught remember her for her enthusiasm and creativity, her kindness and patience. She made every student feel special, and they loved her for that. Over the course of her life, her role as educator moved beyond the classroom to the outdoors which she loved. She tended gardens at every location she called home and beyond, gathering and sharing plants with everyone who visited. And she welcomed many visitors to her home, no one leaving without a potted plant, something she had cooked, or at least a hug. Nan had a way of celebrating each person she came in contact with, friends and family. She wrote individualized notes and poems for each grandchild. One year, she bought the whole family little glass bluebirds so that whenever they looked at them, they would think of that connection. They were all part of the same flock. 

Nan married Rex Enoch in the summer of 1961, and they moved around as career opportunities presented themselves, living for a time, for instance, in Baton Rouge when Rex secured a job at Louisiana State University in the summer of 1966. Because LSU offered international students from around the world a place where they could study to pass the English language test, there was a large population of students from abroad. Nan and Rex got involved in hosting these students which opened up a new world of service, meaningful community, and personal growth. They took all they learned there and applied it throughout the rest of their lives, especially in the transition back to Memphis where they created international support groups and hosted visitors from many different countries. They also found an important and lasting community within Prescott Memorial Church, a church that fully reflected their values. That association of welcoming acceptance, love, and friendship lasted for more than thirty-five years. 

Nan treasured the fact that her friendships included people from different cultures, religions, and lifestyles, and that ideal came to fruition when their lives became intertwined with Heifer International in 1997. Rex became Global Education Manager at Heifer Ranch in Perryville, AR, while Nan found her place at the Ranch working in the Peace Garden and assisting with the many educational programs and leading tours at the Ranch, telling the Heifer story of the more than 50 years of building “communities of hope” in countries around the world using animals as a tool of development. The primary focus of Heifer’s work is helping people learn to feed themselves and “Passing on the Gift” in their communities. Nan loved this idea as it so easily spoke to her passion and calling; she sought to personify it in her life. In her life, she eventually travelled to twenty-eight countries, always working to be a good ambassador, a global citizen, and a good and worthy servant to those in need. 

Nan led a good and productive life and will be missed dearly by her extended family -- her husband of 60 years; her sons, Joel and Jerol, and their families, including the four grandchildren she loved dearly, Savanna, Shephard, Justin, and Bryce; a sister, LaNell and her family in St. Louis; a god-daughter, Chogozidayl Conley in Memphis; many loving nieces and nephews, and a host of friends in Memphis, Little Rock, and around the world. She left a beautiful, lovely, and meaningful legacy.

A Celebration of her Life will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, October 23, 2021 at First Methodist Church, 723 Center St, Little Rock, AR 72201. A reception will follow at Dunbar Gardens, 1720 S Chester St, Little Rock, AR 72206.

Memorials in her honor may be made to Heifer International (especially for educational and gender development programs), Operation Bootstraps Africa, or another charity of one’s choice.